|
Shrek
|
 |
« on: August 05, 2009, 06:05:22 PM » |
|
Well, we were at it again. We assembled a rag tag crew to go in search of those elusive fish and hopefully run some cold steel through them. We left out of Pascagoula aboard a fellow MSSCUBA posters boat, Mopika. Mopika, his nephew, Monkeytunk, a friend and myself set off for a 50 mile run to an offshore wreck. We were met with some rather discouraging looking weather as we aproached the barrier islands, but we were on a mission. It stayed grey, windy and a bit choppy for about 20 miles and then it cleared up. The water started clearing around that mark too. You could tell just by looking at the color of the boat wake after the motors had passed by. Well, a couple of good jars and 50 miles later, we find our mark using the bottom machine. We dropped anchor in 130' and rolled over the side. We descended down the anchor line and were met with very beautiful and clear water conditions. I haven't seen it like this in awhile. 50-60' vis foot for sure. Well, we followed the anchor line down to the bottom and found no wreck. The current was pretty much non-existent and the clarity and lack of a surface or bottom gave me a bit of vertigo. The bottom was there, you just couldn't tell because of a thin merk layer of about 6' above the bottom. The wreck had to be close or at least some structure as we encountered a school of about 200 red snapper. They weren't real big, the average was probably 6 pounds with some 10's mixed in. We sat there and shot at them for a little while. I shot once and got one about 10. The other two divers, Mopika and Monkeytunk were getting in some target practice attempts. Actually, Mopika hit one about 10 but he got off. We ended that dive and headed back for the boat. We decided to make a run back into one of our favorite rigs in a little closer and shallower. We pulled up at that rig and dropped over there. When I got up to the rig and put my mask in the water, I could see where the rig leg branched off in about 35 to 40 feet of water and I was stoked. Granted, I think fish are a little more skiddish and stay farther out in clear water, I was just happy to be diving in my own personal aquarium for the day. As I dropped down to about 15', I noticed a signature piece of this rig and couldn't believe I was seeing it. I knew it was at 70' and I could see a good bit past that. The fish were thick on this rig. Not a lot of snapper, but they were way bigger than the ones farther out. I got a shot on one and blew scales off of him as he was just out of range. There were some nice mangroves on there too as well as a "BIG" angelfish that I didn't see, but was later told by Monkeytunk. I dropped down into the bottom murk at the end of dive and found out that is were I should have been the whole dive because that is where all the big fish were hanging out. I saw a ling swim under me but it happended so quick I never had a chance to even send out a prayer shot. We came up and did our surface interval. When it came time to get back in the water, I passed on this dive. I got sick and just didn't feel like going. It wasn't seasickness. I think I got overheated and hadn't been drinking enough water and the fact that I was going on like 7 hours of sleep in the past two days. I still felt bad the next day. Mopika and Monkeytunk forged on for a third dive and came back to the boat with a nice 22+ pound snapper. We loaded up and blasted back north. Oh, FYI, your boat will run alot better and alot faster if it isn't carrying about 80 gallons of water in the bilge. Somehow we either we leaking or it might have been built up rain water, but not until we made it to the rig did we realize that we had some stowaway water. The bilge pump has an automatoc switch, but it only works if there is a good connection, LOL!!! We did the appropriate redneck technology check and shook the wires and it started working. Then we isolated the one and got it running. No wonder we were having trouble planing off, duh.......... That thing ran for like 20 minutes and it is a 600 gph pump. It had some trash in it so it wasn't working at full capacity, but we figured eighty gallons. 1 gallon of water=8.3 pounds(roughly). 80 gallons X 8.3 pounds=664 pounds. Thats alot of extra weight. Anyways, we made it home safe, had wonderful dives and got some fillets out of the deal too. If any of you have the spear fishing bug, let me know and I can set up a trip in Pensacola or if we have room, maybe you can join us on a trip. Until the next time, dive safe and drive safer cause there are some crazy people on land.
|
